Oregon, 2016Rip Current in Oregon, January 30, 2016
January 30, 2016 · NWS MFR · 1 event in 1 county or zone
An Ashland, Oregon man died while swimming in the Pacific Ocean at Whaleshead Beach State Park on Oregon's south coast Saturday January 30th. m.
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- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 0
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- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
An Ashland, Oregon man died while swimming in the Pacific Ocean at Whaleshead Beach State Park on Oregon's south coast Saturday January 30th. Alexander Howell, 23, was swimming in the Pacific Ocean about 75 yards from shore with a friend, Alex Smith, age 22, from Medford, at about 2 p.m. when, according to witnesses, Howell indicated that he needed to go back to shore. Heavy surf and a strong rip current prevented the swimmers from making an easy return to shore, and the two got separated in the rough waters. Smith managed to get back to shore where two other friends were waiting but Howell was not able to get to shore and his friends were unable to initially find him. The group called 911 and searched the shoreline and found Howell unresponsive on the beach. The friends performed CPR until they were relieved by emergency responders. Howell was transported to Curry General Hospital in Gold Beach for advanced life support. He was declared deceased at the hospital.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Medford, OR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 30, 8:00 AM PST, 5 hours earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jan 30, 8:00 AM PST, 5 hours before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
800 AM PST SAT JAN 30 2016
.DISCUSSION...30/12Z NAM IN. 30/12Z GFS IN THROUGH 96HR.
THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERIC CHART SHOWS A 5 WAVE PATTERN AROUND THE
GLOBE...WHICH IS GENERALLY A PROGRESSIVE PATTERN. THERE IS A
MODERATE AMOUNT OF LONGITUDINAL FLOW AND A MODERATE JET STREAM
CENTERED RIGHT OVER OREGON.
LOOKING CLOSER IN...A WEAK LONG WAVE TROUGH OFFSHORE WILL EJECT A
FEW MORE SHORT WAVES OUR WAY WITH THE BULK OF THE ENERGY
STREAMING INTO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA...MOSTLY SOUTH OF THE MEDFORD
CWA. IT WILL BE SHOWERY TODAY WITH THE BULK OF THE PRECIPITATION
FALLING ALONG THE COAST AND IN THE CASCADES. SNOW LEVELS WILL BE
LOW BUT NOT TOO LOW...MOSTLY IN THE 2000-3000 FOOT RANGE.
AMOUNTS WILL BE SIGNIFICANT BUT MOSTLY ON THE LIGHT SIDE.
SHOWERS WILL DIMINISH...BUT NOT COMPLETELY END...TONIGHT WITH THE
LOSS OF SURFACE HEATING...AND SOME CLEARING WILL MAKE FOR A COLD
NIGHT. SNOW LEVELS WILL DROP TO 500-1500 FEET AND FROST IS
POSSIBLE ALONG THE COAST.
THE LONG WAVE TROUGH WILL MOVE INLAND SUNDAY AND THE TRAILING LONG
WAVE RIDGE WILL BUILD INTO THE AREA. THE LAST OF THE SHORT WAVES
MOVING DOWN THE BACK SIDE OF THE TROUGH WILL MOVE OFF TO THE EAST
BY MONDAY AFTERNOON. SCATTERED LIGHT SHOWERS...PEAKING WITH WHAT
AFTERNOON HEATING THERE IS...WILL PERSIST INTO SUNDAY EVENING.
SHOWERS WILL DIMINISH AGAIN SUNDAY NIGHT...BUT STILL WON'T CUT OFF
COMPLETELY...THERE WILL BE ANOTHER ROUND MONDAY.
A STRONG SHORT WAVE WILL MOVE OVER THE TOP OF THE RIDGE AND
ONSHORE MONDAY NIGHT. THE WAVE WILL WEAKEN AS IT MOVES IN AND
WON'T AMOUNT TO MUCH BY THE TIME IT GETS HERE. THE WAVE WILL STALL
OUT AND WEAKEN OVER THE AREA THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. THIS WILL
BRING A ROUND OF ENHANCED SHOWER ACTIVITY LATE MONDAY NIGHT
THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING. IT STILL WON'T AMOUNT TO MUCH
THOUGH...FLOODING IS NOT A CONCERN HERE.
THE RIDGE WILL BUILD BACK WEDNESDAY...BUT THE AXIS WILL REMAIN
OFFSHORE. THIS WILL MAKE FOR DRY WEATHER AND WARMER TEMPERATURES
WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY.
THE RIDGE WILL MOVE ONSHORE AND OUT TO THE EAST THURSDAY...OPENING
THE STORM DOOR ONCE AGAIN. SEVERAL SYSTEMS WILL MOVE ONSHORE
THURSDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY...BUT NONE LOOK PARTICULARLY STRONG
THIS FAR OUT. A STRONGER LONG WAVE RIDGE WILL DEVELOP OFFSHORE
SUNDAY WHICH...IF IT VERIFIES...WILL BRING AN EXTENDED ROUND OF
DRY OFFSHORE FLOW TO THE AREA SUNDAY INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.
&&
.AVIATION...FOR THE 30/12Z TAF CYCLE...VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED
TO BE THE PREDOMINATE CONDITION FOR THE TAF PERIOD. HOWEVER
OCCASIONAL MVFR CIGS ARE POSSIBLE IN SCATTERED SHOWERS INTO THIS
EVENING. ADDITIONALLY...THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE COASTAL
WATERS TO AREAS JUST INLAND. -PETRUCELLI
&&
.MARINE...UPDATED 300 AM PST SAT 30 JAN 2016...STEEP SEAS AND
WESTERLY SWELL WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE OVER THE WEEKEND BUT WILL
REMAIN SMALL CRAFT THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON. OFFSHORE HIGH PRESSURE
WILL BUILD THIS WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. WEAK LOW PRESSURE WILL
ARRIVE TUESDAY MORNING BUT WINDS SHOULD REMAIN BELOW SMALL CRAFT
ADVISORY CRITERIA. -PETRUCELLI
&&
.MFR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...NONE.
CA...NONE.
PACIFIC COASTAL WATERS...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS
UNTIL 4 PM PST SUNDAY FOR PZZ350-356-370-376.
15/15/15In the hours before
Local storm report, Jan 30, 7:20 AM PST, 5 hours 40 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
720 AM PST SAT JAN 30 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0719 AM HEAVY RAIN 1 S ADIN 41.19N 120.95W
01/29/2016 M1.23 INCH MODOC CA TRAINED SPOTTER
MIDNIGHT TO MIDNIGHT
&&
MNDLocal storm report, Jan 30, 7:54 AM PST, 5 hours 6 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
754 AM PST SAT JAN 30 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0754 AM HEAVY RAIN TENNANT 41.59N 121.91W
01/30/2016 E2.00 INCH SISKIYOU CA TRAINED SPOTTER
OVERNIGHT OBSERVER LOCATION TENNANT.
&&
MNDRip Current, Curry County Coast
- When
- January 30, 1:00 PM PST to 3:00 PM PST
- Where
- Curry County Coast forecast zone
- Deaths
- 0 direct, 1 indirect
- Reported by
- Local Official
- Coordinates
- 42.467, -124.215 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
An Ashland, Oregon man died while swimming in the Pacific Ocean at Whaleshead Beach State Park on Oregon's south coast Saturday, January 30th. Alexander Howell, 23, was swimming in the Pacific Ocean about 75 yards from shore with a friend, Alex Smith, age 22, from Medford, at about 2 p.m. when, according to witnesses, Howell indicated that he needed to go back to shore. Heavy surf and a strong rip current prevented the swimmers from making an easy return to shore, and the two got separated in the rough waters. Smith managed to get back to shore where two other friends were waiting but Howell was not able to get to shore and his friends were unable to initially find him. The group called 911 and searched the shoreline and found Howell unresponsive on the beach. The friends performed CPR until they were relieved by emergency responders. Howell was transported to Curry General Hospital in Gold Beach for advanced life support. He was declared deceased at the hospital.
- Rip Current
- A narrow, fast current flowing away from the beach that caused a drowning or rescue.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Heavy Snow and Damaging Wind in Nevada, January 30 to 31, 2016$200,000 · 59 kt wind · 5 events
- Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Colorado, January 30 to 31, 201620 events
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Utah, January 30 to 31, 20167 events
- High Wind in Texas, January 30 to 31, 201680 kt wind · 5 events
- Winter Weather in Colorado, January 30 to 31, 20163 events
- Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Nevada, January 30 to 31, 20163 events
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in California, January 30 to 31, 20163 events
- High Wind in New Mexico, January 30 to 31, 201661 kt wind · 2 events
- Wildfire in Texas, January 30 to 31, 20161 event
- Wildfire in Oklahoma, January 30, 20161 event
- Wildfire in Texas, January 30 to 31, 20161 event
- High Wind in New Mexico, January 30 to 31, 201652 kt wind · 1 event
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 611127.